The Great British Bake Off 2018: who will be the winner?

For the past 9 weeks, The Great British Bake Off has kept the nation hooked as 12 bakers have battled it out to get to the final.

The semi-final saw the cracks starting to show in the remaining four contestants. Rahul, who was an early favourite to win, had another tough week and struggled to keep it together, while Kim-Joy almost gave up during the very difficult technical challenge when she couldn’t make a thick mousse.

Ultimate it was Briony that missed out on a place in the final. Despite doing pretty well in the signature bake, she undid her good efforts with a dodgy technical and an underwhelming show stopper. It was very close between Briony and Rahul but ultimately Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith chose to send Briony home.

As we approach the final, I’ve taken a look at the remaining three contestants to see who I think has the best chance of winning the series. Keep reading to find out my thoughts…

Kim-Joy

Credit: Channel 4 / Love Productions

One of the most creative bakers that Bake Off has ever seen, Kim-Joy has performed mostly very strong throughout the competition. In the last few weeks the pressure has been getting to her and she definitely hit a low during the semi-final. Her strengths lie in her finishing touches and out of the three remaining contestants, Kim-Joy is definitely the best at presentation.

Over the series, Kim-Joy has won us over with her quirky personality and her ability to incorporate animals into nearly every single show stopper. If she can hold it together and focus, Kim-Joy could be the dark horse in the final.

Rahul

Credit: Channel 4 / Love Productions

The most consistent baker in the tent, until the last two weeks, Rahul lacks confidence despite being a very, very talented baker. He’s produced lots of flawless bakes over the series, had a few Hollywood Handshakes and wowed viewers with his creations. The last two weeks though have seen Rahul fall to pieces first during Danish Week, which almost ended his Bake Off journey, and then during the semi-final’s Patisserie challenges.

I think the pressure and the enormity of getting so far on Bake Off is the reason that Rahul has been struggling. If you throw someone with no confidence into a pressure cooker environment, the only result is going to be flat out panic at some point. After a tough couple of weeks, Rahul could come back fighting in the final so I wouldn’t count him out just yet.

Ruby

Credit: Channel 4 / Love Productions

Throughout this year’s Bake Off Ruby has bounced between almost being eliminated to winning Star Baker twice in a row. Of the three bakers left, she’s definitely proven to be the dark horse and she does seem to have found her groove in the past two weeks. Where Ruby excels is in her flavours but the past few weeks have seen her up her presentation skills game too. Viewers love her sense of humour and she’s the only baker that’s not had a meltdown, even when her tiered cake slid onto the counter while she watched in horror outside the tent.

Unlike Kim-Joy and Rahul, Ruby has taken the competition in her stride and she’s coped with the pressure very well. She’s also been a support for the other contestants throughout the competition and a companion for presenter Noel Fielding to have some banter with. Going into the final as a two-time Star Baker, Ruby could well go all the way and win.

My verdict

I firmly believe that the competition is still open and that any of the three bakers could clinch the title. It will inevitably come down to how they perform in the final three bakes and how they handle the pressure. If I was a betting man, I’d put money on Ruby to win the series but I’ll be keeping a close eye on Rahul and Kim-Joy.

The Great British Bake Off 2018 final will air at 8pm on Tuesday 30th October 2018 on Channel 4. Who do you think will win? Cast your vote below…